1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to content delivery in distributed networks.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Distributed computer systems are well-known in the prior art. One such distributed computer system is a “content delivery network” or “CDN” that is operated and managed by a service provider. The service provider typically provides the service on behalf of third parties. A “distributed system” of this type typically refers to a collection of autonomous computers linked by a network or networks, together with the software, systems, protocols and techniques designed to facilitate various services, such as content delivery or the support of outsourced site infrastructure. Typically, “content delivery” means the storage, caching, or transmission of content, streaming media and applications on behalf of content providers, including ancillary technologies used therewith including, without limitation, DNS request handling, provisioning, data monitoring and reporting, content targeting, personalization, and business intelligence. The term “outsourced site infrastructure” means the distributed systems and associated technologies that enable an entity to operate and/or manage a third party's Web site infrastructure, in whole or in part, on the third party's behalf.
Peer to peer (P2P) networks are also well-known in the prior art and have been used for file sharing and other purposes. A peer-to-peer (or P2P) computer network relies primarily on the computing power and bandwidth of the participants in the network rather than concentrating it in a given set of dedicated servers. P2P networks are typically used for connecting nodes via largely ad hoc connections. A pure peer-to-peer network does not have a notion of clients or servers, but only equal peer nodes that simultaneously function as both “clients” and “servers” to the other nodes on the network. Some entities and business models use a hybrid approach, such as a client-server structure for some tasks (e.g., searching) and a peer-to-peer structure for others.